The readers have spoken - in greater numbers than ever before - and have rendered their verdict on this year's Austin restaurant scene. Special Issues Editor Kate X Messer and her merry band of poll wizards (Kelsey Jukam, Terry Ornelas, Julie Ruff, and our stellar proofreading team) have evaluated the ballots, winnowing out the legitimate votes from among the most egregious examples of ballot stuffing. Over the years, Messer and her team have become experienced cheating profilers, finely honing their senses to detect the difference between outright cheating and a restaurant's whole-hearted evangelical effort to get out their own vote. Without giving away any of their detection secrets, suffice it to say, the profilers are rarely bamboozled.

This is the first year since the turn of this century that powerhouse sister restaurants Mirabelle and Castle Hill Cafe haven't vied for the top spot, but considering the regular long waits for tables at both Vespaio and Uchi, it makes sense those two popular South Austin eateries would come in at first and second place. Ararat and Austin Java were unexpected additions to the Top 10, however. In the individual categories, Rounder's Pizzeria moved into the top pizza spot for the first time, and the multiunit Taco Shack overtook longtime South Austin fave Taco Xpress in both the taco and taqueria sections. In our minds, there was a clear distinction between full-service bakeries (breads, pastries, cakes, etc.) and pastry shops (no breads but kolaches, doughtnuts, pastries, cakes, cookies, etc.), but the readers didn't see it that way, dividing the honors evenly between full-service outlets Sweetish Hill and Upper Crust. We suspect devotion to Upper Crust's cinnamon rolls influenced their choice as Best Pastry Shop. Finding Pluckers Wings atop the chicken dish and delivery categories did come as a surprise, but perhaps that just means we don't spend enough time in the campus area anymore.

The Chronicle food critics - Mick Vann, MM Pack, Barbara Chisholm, Rachel Feit, Wes Marshall, Claudia Alarcón, and I - reviewed our dining experiences over the past year and proposed our own slate of awards. Turns out our admiration for Aquarelle, Vespaio, Uchi, and Asti was pretty unanimous, though we all had some important individual choices, as well. Between the readers' choices and the critics' suggestions, the information in the next few pages ought to keep you in good dining options for at least another year. Go check them out.